On Endings

Hi guys! I’m super excited to be able to join you today for my first post on Teens Can Write, Too! This month’s TCWT theme is “Endings,” which is appropriate because December marks the end of the semester for most people, the end of NaNoWriMo for those of us who participated (whether you won or not, guys, you did something new and wonderful!), and, most importantly, because December is the last month of the year.

And what an ending also means is that there’s a new beginning on the horizon–January, the new year, a time of reflection and renewal. So as we come to this ending, it’s a good time to get some perspective and reflect on what we’ve just been through, so we can understand better where we want to go as we make our new start.

Personal

[via MattMorris.com]

Since the year is ending and New Year’s resolutions wave at us from the distance (hi there), we should think about what we’ve accomplished personally in 2014. (And yes, just making it through counts big.) I have:

Gotten diagnosed with OCD, after having suffered through it in complete and devastating ignorance almost my entire life

Finally gained control over that OCD so that I can live a (relatively) normal life — my counselor is going to “discharge” me in a couple of weeks!

Learned how to deal with being isolated and not having a lot of friends to turn to

Figured out how to gain a measure of independence from my family

Adopted a totes adorbs cat to snuggle

Hello Spartacus!

To everyone reading this: What have you personally accomplished?

Educational

[via LatinTrends.com]

With the semester also coming to a close, we can stop and examine how we’re doing academically. School’s a big part of our lives as young writers and it’s important that we be proud of it! Every victory in our education, no matter how small it might seem, means something. For me, school has never been a real problem, for which I’m infinitely grateful. I know so many others who struggle in this sphere–and for them, the victories are even sweeter. This year, I’ve:

Maintained a high GPA

Gotten another three-ish semesters of college under my belt

Gained some knowledge and reviewed other awesome information!

To our readers: What victories have you gained in your education?

In Writing

[via Globe University]

Finally, with the end of NaNoWriMo, it’s a good time to look at what we’ve accomplished in our writing careers, which, of course, is what this blog is all about. Every word, every paragraph, every page counts in our journey towards making a difference in the world with our voices. In 2014, I have:

Done significant editing on a number of my manuscripts

Worked on preparing one in particular for querying

Written parts of two different new novels (one won in Camp NaNo, one won in regular NaNoWriMo–I haven’t had the chance to actually finish either yet!)

Gained new knowledge about and skills in the writing world

Become a part of this great TCWT/Ch1Con community!

For you wonderful viewers today: What progress have you made with your writing?

In examining all of these things, we create a meaningful ending to this small portion of our lives and prepare ourselves for the next beginning. Think about what you can continue to expand on in 2015! Pat yourself on the back for what you’ve done this year! And guys–thanks for being here with us. 🙂

Advertisements

If you'd like to spread the word:

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

About Kira Brighton

I'm an unpublished novelist, primarily of YA fantasy, working on my Master's in library science. I love psychology, cats, social justice, music, and love! I'm also a huge fangirl. Basically, stories are my life.

10 comments on “On Endings”

Awesome post! Even though i didn’t hit all the goals i set for myself at the start of the year, i am currently editing my WIP and getting it ready to be sent of to critique partners (which is the farthest i’ve ever gotten with any of my WIPs), so i consider that an accomplishment. 2014 was great, but i’m ready for 2015! =D

It sounds like you’ve accomplished some great things thus far! Way to go. 🙂 I don’t think I accomplished much this year… Well, maybe a little. But not much, and that’s okay. I’m excited to see what 2015 brings. 😀

What a wonderful post! It’s definitely important to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and give ourselves a pat on the back, and it sounds like you got a whole lot of good stuff done this year, so congratulations for that. 🙂 I’m especially happy for you after hearing that you’ve been getting a handle on your OCD; I’ve struggled with a lot of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies in my life as well, and I know how hard that can be, so I’m ever so pleased that you’ve been able to start overcoming your own. ❤ And congratulations on everything else, including all of the writing accomplishments and the adorable kitty, too, of course! So glad to have you posting for us here at TCWT. 🙂